Watch Box #5: Hinges, Handle, Dividers

After glueing in the medallion, I went ahead and sanded it flush with the lid. I did this to be sure it looked ok. I was worried about chipped out areas below the rim showing up after the sanding and it would be much easier to replace the panel at this stage before the entire box was shaped. It would make aligning the jig for recutting the recess less of a nightmare. But it looked fine.

The handle is a piece of cut off from the Maple medallion. I simply slotted a mortise in it and the lid using a 1/8 bit in a table mounted router. I cut a strip of Maple just a wee bit thinner than the slot and pretested it until the handle fit to the body snugly. I marked a center line on both the lid and the handle for alignment. Tip: make the slot about 3/4 shorter than the length of the rough handle, stopping about 3/8 short on both ends. This will allow you to slide the handle back and forth to align it with the lid. What I am getting at is this: You start off with a handle blank cut to the approximate length, but as you shape it prior to mounting it you may take more material off one end than the other, which means the center line has shifted. The shortened slot will give you room to shape the ends as needed. The floating tenon ( the thin slat that will join the handle to the lid) will need to be a bit shorter than the slot to allow the handle to slide side to side to center it with the lids center.

I need to mention again that some of the pictures and write up are a little out of order. Since this isnt a tutorial I am not trying very hard to lay out everything properly to build a box.

The hinges were cut in by router and finished by hand. I used Brusso 95 degree with the stop built in. They are $30 pair at WoodCraft, very nicely made. Be sure and buy some steel screws to set the hinges. I usually have them in and out a few times and the brass ones break too easy on the harder woods like this Bloodwood.

Here is a picture of the handle and the lid with a little more shaping.

I used 3/16 Maple ply for the dividers, cut slots as needed and fitted them to the box.

I needed a way to cover the raw edge of the plywood and decided to use Leopardwood. I cut kerfs in all four faces of a board to the thickness of the plywood and cut them apart on the bandsaw. The caps will add some interesting contrast, cover the edges and add some needed stability to the dividers.

The first photo shows the caps before they are cut completely free of the mother board (ha) You can see the little strip I left so I could use the table saw to cut most of the material away safely.

And here we have turned the H’s into U’s.

Here we have the caps in place as a test fit.

I will get these fitted better and then on to the shaping.Stay tuned.

Check out my website and leave a comment on the blog page. I need feedback from anyone who has the time. I would appreciate any criticism so I can make changes as needed. If you have a website you would like me to link to send it along and I will consider it. Also, see if you arent already on the Links page and perhaps one of your comments was used in the Available section. Click on a picture to get a larger view and at the bottom of the page you will find the comments. Check the spelling of your name and let me know if you want any referance to you removed.http://www.artboxesbyandy.com/Thanks for your help.Andy

Went back to web page, clicked on the box I was intereseted in and came back to the LJ’s site.

Your boxes really require no comment in that they visually speak volumes! Not sure about what you want your web site to tell folks? or what you want to achieve?

The site is well done. The pictures are very clear and I would guess show the true colors of your masterpices?

I talk A LOT..LOL! Sometimes I give my clients/patients toooooo much information. I use to believe I could fix it in 8 weeks if “you do everything I am asking” but everybody works differently? Still seeing one person many years later, and learning and progress is being made …by both of us :) !!

I love the feeling that I get looking at your creations. I attempt to put that into words. You my “master woodworker” do not?

As an LJ I am here to be with guys like you and learn and be inspired. The explainations help me learn.

Your work is my inspiration.

Hope I have described the essence? I believe coming back to the LJ’s page takes away from the website.

@Al, I have a little sneezing now and then but have never had a reaction like that. I did get a severe case of bronchitis from dust after making several boxes from Tennesee Red Cedar, so I a wear a mask…sometimes.

@Doc. Thats very kind of you Doc. I have been rethinking the link back to LJ from the website Gallery because of that very reason. I only linked them to give more info on each as I didnt have time to locate all the old photos and do a little write up on each. I am thinking of reworking that section to keep viewers on the website.Thanks for your input Doc, it has helped me make an important decision.

Hi Andy, Great looking blog I always enjoy seeing your craftsmanship. I went to your web site, you did a super nice job on all the pages. I really like the nature pictures that you take. Keep up the great work, and thank you for putting Zongkers as one of your links.

If you get a chance take a look at are site Patti my Wife has been updating and improving the web site. Let me know what you think? Thank you Andy, It really looks like you are enjoying your woodworking journey!

Andy, your website looks super stunning! Did you careat it or did you have someone do it for you? I am hoping to have a super site like yours to show and sell my Valentine Feather Box and others. Great as usual, Andy!

-- LittlePAW - The sweetest sound in my shop, next to Mozart, is what a hand plane makes slicing a ribbon.

THANKS to everyone for supporting my work and taking time to look around and make comments. We all live such busy lives its a wonder any of us have time to give to anyone else. Thanks again.

@ Dennis- yes, your site looks very good, a nice layout to show your many skills, great photos too. Your wife is a real asset, buy her a box of dark chocolate…or maybe a puppy :-)

@LittlePaw- A friend of mine named Scott really encouraged me to get a website and offered to do it for me. That happens to be his business and its called Web Trax.He worked hard on getting the site up and running and registering the name and all the other behind the scenes work and he did it for me for basically nothing. My wife set up a PayPal account and did a lot of the behind the scenes work to keep this moving ahead or it wouldnt have happened. He then turned it over to me to customize to my taste. I sorted through my outdoor photos I have taken over the years and added them as I saw fit. Then I wrote the text on each page. Then I went back and found all the Box photos I have taken, sorted through them and used what looked best. Then I added comments and links to people who like my work. I probably have over 80 hours invested so far and I am not done yet. But its very satisfying to see the site online. There are sites that will walk you through doing your own website for a fee just to help and maintain, or they will do it from A-Z, or you can find free web building programs and do it all yourself. Regardless, it will be a lot of work to get it the way you want it. Scott is an easy person to work with, reasonably priced, honest and a great communicator, plus he is a genius with computers and writing code. Click the link to get more info.

@ gfadvm- Go ahead, glad you like them, let me see what you make when its done.